Autopsy report concludes vicious pit bull attack killed toddler

Kylar Johnson's body was badly wounded from head to toe when it arrived at the medical examiner's office, according to a full autopsy report.

The Travis County Medical Examiner's autopsy report, which was released on May 25, found that Kylar, 4, died as a result of canine mauling riddled with a combination of multiple sharp, force injuries and blunt, force injuries to much of his body.

"It wasn't simply a mauling," said Victoria County District Attorney Steve Tyler. "A significant amount of flesh was removed."

The toddler wandered away from his home in the 1100 block of Old Goliad Road on the night of March 25.

The boy's body was found about a quarter-mile away in the backyard of a neighbor's home.

Several dogs were in the enclosure, including a pit bull, which was suspected of killing the child.

The victim's father, Michael Cole Johnson, along with a search party, spent most of that night and some of the following morning searching for Kylar.

Johnson, 28, told sheriff's deputies he was cleaning his car when his son disappeared, but Tyler believes Johnson was negligent in Kylar's death.

He was indicted on May 30 on charges of felony criminal negligent homicide, injury to a child and endangering a child in his son's death.

The autopsy described Kylar as having yellow, callused feet and numerous wounds from head to toe.

The plethora of wounds caused Kylar to bleed out, said Tyler.

The autopsy did not indicate an estimated time of death.

"They described it as grotesque as anything they've seen," Tyler said of the officers who investigated the case.

Victoria County Assistant District Attorney Eli Garza will prosecute the case against Johnson.